What To Wear As A Wedding Guest

A wedding invitation is an exciting thing! A big day out celebrating people you care about is something to look forward to. As a guest, you don’t have to worry about the running of the big day. However, there are several actions to take to ensure that you are the best wedding guest you can be. You should bring a gift, respect rules set by the couple, and definitely not bring an additional unapproved guest – you should also dress the part.

 

Dressing for a wedding can prove to be a complicated endeavour. There’s a lot to consider, but there is no need to stress it! If you want to know what a male guest wedding guest should wear, if you want men's wedding guest outfit ideas, or you want to know what to wear for wedding dress codes, this blog is for you.

 

How To Match A Wedding Dress Code

 

If the wedding you will be attending has a dress code, consider yourself in luck. This gives you guidelines for what to wear and takes some of the stressful decision making away.

 

Black Tie Wedding Guest Outfits For Men

If the dress code is Black Tie, it’s an opportunity to wear the tuxedo or tuxedo style suit of your dreams. Keep it simple but elegant. Wear a black suit or tux with a SUAVE OWL white shirt, a black bow tie, and black shoes. From here, accessorise as you choose – but keep it classy and black or white. Braces, a pocket watch, and a pocket square are your best options.

 

 

It's simple but works every time. You’ll look just the part in this ensemble, with zero decision making stress.

 

Cocktail Wedding Guest Outfits For Men 

The Cocktail dress code gives you some more freedom. You can embrace a bit more of your own personality while sticking to the dress code. For cocktail, you need to stick to more formal attire. However, you can embrace vivid colour with this dress code and relax the outfit more than black tie permits.

 

 

For a simple cocktail outfit for men, either choose the wedding colours or your favourite colour to style your outfit with. You could wear a suit in a vivid colour and pair it with complimentary or neutral coloured accessories. Another option is wearing a neutral suit with bright accessories. Pick a 3-piece suit, a SUAVE OWL shirt, and the accessories of your choice in your preferred colours. If it looks polished, smart, and makes you feel your best, it's right for this dress code. 

 

 

Smart Casual Wedding Guest Outfits For Men 

If the dress code is Smart Casual, you have a slight challenge. Your hosts likely want you to dress it down a bit, but that can be a difficult line to walk. How dressed down? And what if you end up looking different to the other attendees? The best course of action is to keep it on the more formal side of smart casual and play it safe. Don’t wear a full tuxedo, but definitely don’t wear jeans and a T-shirt. You have plenty of smart casual options that will keep you looking your best, comfortable, and completely in place.

 

For an easy ensemble that fits perfectly well in smarter smart casual, try a suit jacket, SUAVE OWL T-shirt shirt, chinos, brogues, and a tie and pocketsquare. It’s simple, effective, and comfortable. It’ll be sure to keep you looking your best.

 

 

Your other options include wearing suit trousers with a short-sleeve or long-sleeve button up shirt, or wearing your suit jacket and trousers with a T-shirt. It’s simple, smart, and slightly less dressy for those that prefer it.

 

 

A whole range of smart casual men's outfits can work as smart casual wedding guest outfits for men. There's no reason to not polish up some of your favourite styles. If it's clean, composed, and on the more formal side of smart casual, give it a try!

 

  

What To Wear As A Wedding Guest

 

But what if there was no dress code with your invite? Figuring out what to wear when there's no dress code can be daunting. It's worth considering that No Dress Code gives you plenty of freedom. However, you may want some initial direction to start working with.

 

For a no dress code wedding, go for formal attire. Wear either a 2-piece or 3-piece suit with a formal shirt, brogues, plus tie and pocketsquare. It may be best to keep your outfit understated without bold colour or using seasonal colours as to not steal the show. 

 

 

From here, consider practicality. What season is the wedding in? You’ll want to dress differently for winter and summer weddings, not only in style but in substance to ensure comfort.

 

For summer weddings, you'll want to wear lighter shades, such as tan, cream, and blue, that reflect the sun. You'll want your suit to be made of light-weight, breathable materials, such as linen or cotton, to keep you cool.

 

 

For winter weddings, darker colours, such as black and dark grey, with thicker material to keep heat in will make you feel your warmest. You can even add a neutral overcoat too for especially cold days.

 

  

How To Style Your Wedding Guest Suit

 

Knowing what kind of outfit is appropriate for such an occasion is important. But it doesn’t help you with some of the other practical steps. Read on for styling tip tops for wedding guests…

 

What Not To Do As A Wedding Guest

 

Do not outdress the groom’s party! If you're close enough to the groom or a member of his party, politely enquire as to what they're wearing. Then, attempt to dress as differently as you can whilst remaining formal. If you don't have the opportunity to do that, try to keep your outfit from being too flashy and avoid wearing shades of white, champagne, or cream! 

 

Do not wear a boutonniere! These are solely for members of the party and wearing one would make you stand out – and not in a way you’d like.

 

Do not wear something inappropriate for the event! Unless directly stated otherwise, avoid trainers, jeans, ripped clothing, overtly branded items, or anything with profanity on it. This is more of an issue for smart casual events, but always teeter on the side of formality.

 

 

What To Do As A Wedding Guest

 

Do make sure your suit fits well! Suit fit is key for making your outfit look it’s best. A well-fitting suit will flatter the wearer and make for the most comfortable suit possible. Get the right suit size easily by popping into our shop and asking a member of our team for help.

 

Do take a hanky. These are useful in emergencies all year round, and having a hankerchief removes the temptation to use your accessory pocket square. You  won’t regret it.

 

 Figuring out what to wear as a male wedding guest can be tricky. Make it easy with SUAVE OWL, visit us in store or browse our website to find the best suit for you today.

 

 

More From SUAVE OWL

For more information about finding the best suit for you, read our Real Men Real Style’s Men’s Dress Code Guide. For more news, style advice, and updates from SUAVE OWL, follow our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok!